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Intellimouse Optical
Click picture above to
buy this item.
 This Microsoft
mouse is also Mac-friendly!!!
(Yes...Really!)
Mice come, and mice go. Why? One word : dust. Dust on the
mousepad, then onto the ball of the mouse, then rolling into
the components of the mouse itself, and no matter how much you
try to clean it, eventually the mouse becomes sluggish so...time
for a new mouse. Well, Microsoft is attempting to change all
that, with the Intellimouse
Optical.
The sales pitch of this mouse is simple : no ball at the bottom
of the mouse. How? Good question. Advanced LED components scan
for even the slightest movement below. These components light
up the bottom of the mouse, for a way-cool illuminated look.
Even better, these LEDs do not require any additional
power source; the mouse gets its energy from your PC, via the
standard mouse cable. In case you wondered, these optic components
work perfectly; as good as any typical mouse ever did. In some
ways, it even works better than the typical mouse, with
little need for "surface traction." As the boast on
the box says, yes, it will even work on your jeans.
These components have some limitations, however. Optical
sensors mean that differences in what it sees is a must.
This means its "rolling" surface (for all intent, your
mouse pad) must be of sufficient difference in either texture
or contrasting color. On the one hand, any typical wooden desktop
is sufficient. Roughness of the surface also works, no matter
how invisible to the human eye. In our tests, even
the nearly-invisible roughness of a white sheet of paper was
enough to make the mouse work perfectly! A typical mouse pad fave
--a pic of the family and kids-- also worked like a charm.
What surfaces don't work? Well, optical illusion mouse
pads for one; it is, after all, an optical mouse! Mirrors
are also definitely out, like those snazzy mylar mouse pads. Lenticular, "animated" mouse pads (the picture changes
depending on the angle you look at it) will equally confuse the
mouse's optic sensor; the changing picture will confuse the optic
sensor's sense of direction. No biggie; just change the mouse
pad.
 What computers can use this mouse? Well, practically
all of them worth using today. While it includes a PS/2
adapter for popular PCs, it is a USB mouse, which means
any computer with a USB or PS/2 port free can use this mouse,
quite easily. This includes any modern Macintosh, including
iMacs! No more dinky round mouse that came free with the system
(though I have word Apple has already replaced this dinky mouse, or will
soon). Mac-OS drivers are included right on the CD; no problem to install.
Control Panel Software easily sets up the new mouse to whatever
button arrangement you wish, on either a PC or a Mac. No less
than four buttons to choose from -- in addition to a scroll wheel
in the center-- means major versatility. The default option is a standard configuration of the top
(regular) mouse buttons, with the side buttons
used to go forward/back on Web sites. However, there are many
other possibilities.
In the end, this is a fantastic choice for a new mouse. If
your current mouse is getting sluggish, unresponsive, or needs
to be rolled around on the mouse pad a lot more than it used
to, there are many other options than trying to "clean"
the itty bitty ball mechanism. Buying an El Cheapo mouse "for
the time being" might just make matters worse. To me, Intellimouse
Optical is the Y2K mouse to buy, on several levels. Right
down to its way-cool red glow, it's an excellent choice for the
new millenium!
To buy Microsoft IntelliMouse Optical, Click Here
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